WINNING THE TURNOVER BATTLE = WINS “It’s a fact that if you don’t turn the ball over the chances of your team winning are a lot higher than if you turn the ball over,” says Minnesota Vikings quarterback DAUNTE CULPEPER. He’s right. This past year, teams that won the turnover battle posted an incredible 166-40 (.806) record – the third out of the past four years that the league-wide winning percentage was above .800 for teams that turned the ball over fewer times than their opponents. A fumble recovery or an interception by the defense does not just represent an extra possession for your ballclub; it is one less opportunity your opponent has to score. “To win in the NFL is very simple,” says Baltimore Ravens linebacker RAY LEWIS, who has caused his fair share of turnovers. “If you don’t turn the ball over, you win.” There is no statistic to explain the shift in momentum after a turnover. It’s huge. If a team squanders opportunity after opportunity – especially down towards the red zone – it can eat away at the confidence of the offense and demoralize the defense, which is left with the responsibility of trying to stop an invigorated opponent. “Turnover differential is the number one factor in winning games,” says former Cowboys and Dolphins head coach JIMMY JOHNSON. Though coaches at every level stress the importance of turnovers on a daily basis, it’s just too important not to emphasize. “You have to work on it and talk about it and sell it and players have to get it done,” says Kansas City Chiefs head coach DICK VERMEIL. “But it’s a difference maker in this league.” Records of teams that won the turnover battle in the past 10 seasons: YEAR W L T WIN PCT. YEAR W L T WIN PCT. 1994 134 42 0 .761 1999 157 46 0 .773 1995 150 40 0 .789 2000 171 41 0 .807 1996 153 40 0 .793 2001 142 56 0 .717 1997 149 40 2 .785 2002 174 38 1 .819 1998 150 44 0 .773 2003 166 40 0 .806 TOTALS 1,546 427 3 .784

TO WIN, YOU’VE GOTTA CONVERT Coaches like Seattle’s MIKE HOLMGREN always stress the importance of being able to covert third downs.

“That is a key statistic in any game, next to turnovers,” says Holmgren, whose Seahawks led the league in 2003 with a 46.8 third- down conversion rate.

The numbers speak for themselves. Of all the teams in the NFL to convert at least 40 percent of their third down opportunities, only one squad – the San Francisco 49ers (7-9) – posted a winning percentage below .500. Six of the 10 teams converting at a rate of 40 percent advanced to the playoffs, while Minnesota missed a playoff berth on the final play of its season.

“The third-down plays, those are clutch," says wide receiver JEROME PATHON, whose team ranked third among the league’s best on third down conversions in 2003. "You have to convert in this league to be a good offense."

It is also noteworthy that all six quarterbacks to play in this year’s Pro Bowl – MARC BULGER (Rams), DAUNTE CULPEPPER (Vikings), TRENT GREEN (Chiefs), (Colts), STEVE MC NAIR (Titans) and MATT HASSELBECK (Seahawks) – played on teams that ranked in the top 10 in third-down conversion percentage.

Following is a chart of the NFL teams that converted 40 percent or better on third down last season:

TEAM THIRD DOWN PCT. W L WIN PCT. 46.8 10 6 .625 Minnesota Vikings 46.6 9 7 .562 New Orleans Saints 46.3 8 8 .500 Cincinnati Bengals 44.7 8 8 .500 St. Louis Rams 42.6 12 4 .750 41.9 12 4 .750 Kansas City Chiefs 41.8 13 3 .812 Green Bay Packers 41.1 10 6 .625 Tennessee Titans 40.8 12 4 .750 San Francisco 49ers 40.0 7 9 .438

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